New Ulm weekly review., 1887-04-06
THE RED SCAR.

When found myself stranded, so
TO speak, in the heart OF Yucatan, I
was rather pleased than otherwise
had been writing up the quaint old
ruins Of chat strange land for New
York paper, and had turned my face
homeward, when [ received a letter
requesting me to wait at San Pablo
for further instructions.
San Pablo interested me. It was a
sleepy old Spanish village, with big
cathedral, plaza with the usual col
lection ofadobe houses around it, and a.
background ofsnowcapped mountains
rising boldly from a landscape of tor
rid summer heats.
It was here that met with the most
kpuzzling experience of my life.
was returning from a. solitary ride
among the hills. The declining sun
warned me that darkness would over
take me if did not make haste, but
as I could see in the distance the mas
4 sive towers of the cathedral, I felt no
:uneasiness. .-
At one place my lonely road or mule
path skirted a deep ravine, which was
SO choked up with a. thick, scrubby
s1ndergrowth that was unable to see
anything but tangled mass offoliage
and vines.
GA good place for an ambush" I
said to myself.
The idea impressed me so that I
4 spurred my mule, but, to my surprise,
the usually docile animal stood stock
still. ...
s'Senor!"
The voice rang out from the depth
of the ravine, but it seemed to be at
stSenor, halt!''
AS | halted, on account of nv
mules obstinacy, the command was
unnecessary. --,
s.stand aside I shouted, tsand let
sane pass
just then l saw protruding out OF
the bushes in front of me the muzzle
j of an old-fashioned blunderbuss, a
sfilnt lock weapon in very general use
:in Yucatan.
A shudder ran down my spinal
column. l was unarmed, and the
blunderbuss was about the size of a
small cannon. Resistance was not to
be thought of.
t'I surrender 1 cried to my unseen
Zoe.
ATbe senor is sensible" said the
will hn ho 1oo,
to the road.
A rapid but close scrutiny Of my
,captor showed me a young man OF
snaedlum height, whose 1.-the, sinewy
Figure indicated exceptional activity
.and strength. He wore homespun
scotton suit, and the face under his
sombrero had the brown tinge com
mon to all the Yucatanese who were
of mixed Spanish and Indian blood.
The mans right temple was disfgured
sby a peculiar scar, shaped liked a
crescent aud of fiery red color. Be-
.yond this scar there was nothing
remarkable about his face. He had
4regular features, thin cruel lips and
restless eyes like beads of jet.
II will hold up my hands and you
can go Through me" said pleasant
fy- "You don't want the Nule, do
.you!''
'sThe senor is wrong. lido want the
,snule," replied the robber, in quiet,
selfpossessed tone. The senior will
have the kin ness to dismount and
hold up his hands,
AS there was no use in wasting
words, I obeyed without objection.
The robber, with a quick Jerk drew
my hands behind me and pinioned
them with a strip of rawhide. Then
hhe bound me securely to a tree. After
sfinishing these preliminaries he emptied
fH1y pockets OF the loose silver in them.
"ls that all senor?" he asked in dis
gust.
4.All have,"I answered.
aoThe senior has my sympathy
said the rascal, with vicious grin.
But the mule is something"
Tue robber turned my steed to the
uight about and jumped into the sad.
.dle.
sI-et the senior be patient" he said
as he rode off. ''Some traveller will
release him, and it is not far to San
Pablo. Give Francisco S compliments
to the alcalde. Adios, senor, adios!''
And waving his hand he disappear
ed around a bend in the road.
So this was the noted highwayman,
Hranolsco, for whose head the Gov.
sernorhad offered a heavy reward
There was sconso solation inthe thought.
No one would blame me for surrender.
ing to q daredevil who was considered
"a match for any three men in Yucca
tan.
But my train of thought was soon
interrupted in a pleasant manner.
Francisco had been gone perhaps a
quarter of an hour when a muleteer
made his appearance leading his little
lburro along the narrow path. Hail.
Sing the stranger, induced him to cut
rngg bonds and release me. The mule
rteer told me thatI escaped lightly,
n IA o,4va FRO ncicons "a yary, -hl a olx al q r.